Process for manufacturing stump socks and liners for prosthesis apparatus

ABSTRACT

A stump sock for use by amputees with prosthesis apparatus, is produced by knitting an oversize wool stump sock and a liner sheath of synthetic fiber, fitting said sheath and sock together on a form of selected shape and size, and treating said sheath and sock, particularly with steam, to shape and size the sheath and sock uniformly.

United States Patent Belzidsky Dec. 24, 1974 [5 PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING STUMP 1,907,511 5/1933 Davies 3 17 R SOCKS AND LINERS O PRQSTHESIS 2,696,011 12/1954 Galdik APPARATUS 3,451,232 6/1969 Belzidsky 3/19 X [76] Inventor: David Belzidsky, 191 rue Saint FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Ch n-1 -15 Paris France 1,445,063 France 1,076,560 10/1967 Great Britain 3/19 [22] Filed: July 24, 1972 rimar xaminer- 0 ert ac ey 21 App1. N0.. 274,299 P y E R b Attorney, Agent, or Firm1m1r1e, Sm11ey & Lmn

[52] U.S. Cl 28/72 R, 3/19,2666i /1l70%, [57] ABSTRACT 51 1111.01. D04b 39/00, D066 5/00 A Stump 599k for use by 1 9 9 with Prosthesis P- [58] Field of Search 3/17, 18, 19; 66/170, 171; Paratus, is Produced by kmttmg an overslze W9 28/72 264/103 stump sock and a liner sheath of synthetic fiber, fitting said sheath and sock together on a form of selected [56] References Cited shape and size, and treating said sheath and sock, par- UNITED STATES PATENTS ticularly with steam, to shape and size the sheath and k 'f 1 1,153,532 9/1915 Apgar 3/17 R Soc um Orm y I 1,321,966 11/1919 Witherell 66/171 1 Claim, 1 Drawing Figure WEAVING A LINER SHEATH OF SMOOTH, NON-FRICTION THREAD KNITTING A STUMP SOCK OF WOOLLEN YARN AT A SIZE LARGER THAN DESIRED MOUNTING SAID SHEATH AND SOCK ON FORM MEANS TO SUBSTANTIALLY DESIRED SIZE AND SHAPE AND TREATING WITH STEAM TO SET SHAPE OF LINER AND SOCK AND SIZE OF SOCK WASHING, CLEANING AND DRYING SAID SOCK AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES SUBJECTING SAID SOCK T0 ELEVATED TEMPERATURES TO FLUFF THE YARN THEREOF PATENTEU 555241974 WEAVING A LINER SHEATH OF SMOOTH, NON-FRICTION THREAD KNITTING A STUMP SOCK OF WOOLLEN YARN AT A SIZE LARGER THAN DESIRED MOUNTING SAID SHEATH AND .SOCK ON FORM MEANS TO SUBSTANTIALLY DESIRED SIZE AND SHAPE AND TREATING WITH STEAM TO SET SHAPE OF LINER AND SOCK AND SIZE OF SOCK WASHING, CLEANING AND DRYING SAID SOCK AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES SUBJECTING SAID SOCK ,TO ELEVATED TEMPERATURES TO FLUFF THE YARN THEREOF PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING STUMP SOCKS AND LINERS FOR PROSTHESIS APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a process for manufacturing items for protecting stumps, comprising a sheath and a stump sock for covering the stump of an amputated person using a prosthesis.

It has been known for many years to manufacture, for the use by amputees who wear a prosthesis, an item for protecting their stump, called a stump sock which constitutes a protective padding between the stump and the fit of the prosthesis apparatus to prevent, during walking, bruising the stump, particularly at points of contact. The stump sock maintains thestump at a normal, moderate and temperate heat. It must not cause either irritation or injury to the stump. lt absorbs the sweat resulting from the perspiration of the stump. Due to its thickness, it must compensate, as far as possible, variations in the configuration of the stump.

In France, before 1965, the stump sock was perfectly cone-shaped. The terminal thereof had a round part, the radius of which was varied according to various sizes, widths and lengths.

The stump sock is obtained by knitting textile threads. ln France, before 1965, the threads used were wool and cotton. Since 1965, wool threads mixed with synthetic textile threads are used.

The knitting of the stump sock is mechanical and comprises a mixed operation. This operation consists, when a thread composed of two different textiles is used, in having a greater quantity of one of the textiles appearing on one of the faces of the knitted fabric, rather than on the other face thereof.

Traditionally, it is on the back of the knitted fabric that manufacturers pass the wool through, and use this face as the internal face of the stump sock, because the stump feels more comfortable when it rests upon this textile. Now, the back side, presents cross-ribs causing a harder and less sliding contact with the stump than the other side whose longitudinal ribs are softer and thus allow the stump to slide more easily.

According to French Pat. No. 1,483,847 of Apr. 8, 1966, Applicant has remedied the foregoing drawback by a process which arranges the wool preferably on the side of the knitted fabric which constitutes the internal face of the stump sock, and the other side, with its cross-ribs, which is uncomfortable for the stump, then becomes the external face of the stump sock.

The conic part of the stump sock is obtained by making lateral diminutions during knitting. The terminal part (distal) is closed, after it is taken offthe machine.

lt is also known to add to the stump sock a protective sheath for improving the wearing of prosthesis apparatus. Applicants'French Pat. No. 1,135,516, relates to such a sheath intended to be worn under a standard stump sock, as a means of avoiding the transmission of rubbing forces to the skin of the stump.

The general shape of the various sizes of sheathsis the same as that of present stump sock. They have the same radius and the same conic shape at the distal part up to the vicinity of the proximal part, then a shape, in this last part, which allows the formation of a flap.

The sheath is obtained through the weaving of a synthetic textile thread of a superpolyamide.

The weaving is performed on circular machines. According to applicants French Pat. No. 1,445,063, the

body of the sheath is locked woven mesh (aerated mesh). The distal extremity is reinforced, as well as the proximal part which forms a back side. The closing of the distal part is obtained through the grafting of a patch thereto.

Experience has shown that the sheath and the stump sock constitute an inseparable assembly, and to wear one without the other may cause serious damages. The main effect of the sheath is to avoid frictional rubbing forces on the skin of the stump, because the rubbing coefficient of a superpolyamide thread is almost nil, which is not the case for W001.

When an amputee is walking, the stump sock which is blocked, on one side, against the internal face of the fit, comes into contact, on the other side, with a material (the superpolyamide) along which it can readily slide. The epiderm of the stump, which exactly corresponds in shape with the internal face of the sheath (by the fact that the latter is judiciously tensioned), has no contact with the stump sock and is not subject to rubbing from the latter. It is the external face of the sheath which is in contact with and which slides along the internal .face of the stump sock.

It is then obvious that these two accessories are complementary to each other, because a stump sock which would be worn without any sheath would cause rubbing with the stump, which would entail skin complications, and would not secure a good vascularization in the stump.

A sheath which would be worn without any stump sock would not provide sufficient padding of the stump in the socket of the prosthesis, particularly at the points of contact; would not sufficiently cushion the epiderm of the stump so that substantially it is in complete and direct contact with the internal walls of the fit; and would keep the stump damp, not having the stump sock for absorbing perspiration. The sheath would be rapidly worn due to the fact that it is woven with threads more fragile than wool.

Experience has shown that the use of the stump sock with a sheath still presents some drawbacks if each of them does not exactly correspond to the size of the stump that it covers, as well as to the size of the prosthesis apparatus of the amputees.

To date, great difficulties are encountered for fitting the sheath and the stump sock so that they have exactly the same circumference and length, when they are placed on the stump and into the prosthesis socket, due to the fact that these two items have physical properties which are quite different, because of the difference existing between the nature of the threads they are made of.

Thus, the stump sock yields, in extension, much more in the direction of its length, while the sheath yields, in

expansion, much more in the direction of its width.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION .shape and size substantially identical.

To this end, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing items for the protection of stumps of amputees wearing prosthesis, the items comprising a protecting sheath and a stump sock, according to which the stump sock is knitted and the protecting sheath is woven longer than the desired size because of the physical properties of the threads used for obtaining identical shape and size of the two items after they are fitted BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The steps of the process according to the invention are graphically presented in a flow diagram.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION v According to the invention, the process consists in manufacturing items for stump protection, comprising a sheath and a stump sock. These two items, after treatment which takes into account the special extensibility of each textile fiber, both present, when put on the stump and into the prosthesis socket, a shape and a length identical, the latter being equal to the part of the stump fitted into the socket, increased by the length of the flap fold of these items.

To this end, the stump sock is knitted, and the sheath is woven at a length larger than the desired size.

The sheath is then pre-shaped and placed on a form, so as to obtain, after treatment, a permanent size.

After knitting, the stump sock is subject to variations in size, due to the action of various atmospheric agents, such as the hydrometric state, the ambient temperature, etc. It results from an instability of the size of the item, which makes it unsuitable for co-operating with a sheath, for securing the protection of the stump, without running the risk of injuring it. According to the invention, the stump sock is pre-shaped with steam by placing it on a form constituted by a plate whose outlines are those of the sheath previously described. Consequently, the same forms are used for both the sheath and the stump sock. Marks on the forms enable, after the shaping operation, producing the stump sock at the specified length. I

The stump sock is placed on the form, so that it corresponds exactly in shape with the latter. This assembly is then placed into a cup, during a time which varies, while steam is injected, which causes the stabilization of the mesh in the desired shape.

The stump sock is removed from its form, cleaned and washed, and then submitted to softening treatment.

Then, the shaping proper takes place by placing the stump sock on the same form and steaming it again. The stump sock is then dried for fluffing'of the material.

From there, the stump sock is shaped and will not shrink any more.

When it is submitted to an extension force, the stump sock yields in the direction of its length than in that of itswidth.

At the time of manufacture, this process taking into account the various physical properties (especially of the extensibility), of the textile threads employed, for both the sheath and the stump sock to establish a stability in size for these two items, not only in a static position, but especially after they have been placed on the stump and into the socket of the prosthesis apparatus. These conditions must be realized for each of the sizes of these items. The foregoing treatment results in a comfort unknown to date, permitting wearing the prosthesis for a long period of time, and with the absolute guarantee of not irritating or injuring the stump, with these two articles.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the example hereabove described, from which other modes and forms of embodiments can be provided without, thereby, departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Process for preparing a stump sock and liner sheath as a protective assembly, for use by amputees with prosthesis apparatus, comprising:

knitting a stump sock of a size larger than the final desired size;

weaving a liner sheath of substantially the size of the stump sock;

mounting said sheath and said sock on form means to establish identical shapes;

treating said sheath and sock while on said form means to preshape said sheath and sock; cleaning, washing and drying said sock in the open arr;

placing said sock on a shaped form of identical size to the form means of the sheath;

steaming and drying said sock on said form to finally shape and size the sock; and

subjecting said suck to hot air to fluff the material thereof, whereby placing the sheath within the sock forms a protective assembly for a stump within prosthesis apparatus. 

1. Process for preparing a stump sock and liner sheath as a protective assembly, for use by amputees with prosthesis apparatus, comprising: knitting a stump sock of a size larger than the final desired size; weaving a liner sheath of substantially the size of the stump sock; mounting said sheath and said sock on form means to eStablish identical shapes; treating said sheath and sock while on said form means to preshape said sheath and sock; cleaning, washing and drying said sock in the open air; placing said sock on a shaped form of identical size to the form means of the sheath; steaming and drying said sock on said form to finally shape and size the sock; and subjecting said sock to hot air to fluff the material thereof, whereby placing the sheath within the sock forms a protective assembly for a stump within prosthesis apparatus. 